Freight-car and lock for freight-car doors.



A. W. BERRESFORD. vFREIGHT cAII AND LocK FoII FREIGHT CAII nouns.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22| |911.

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A. W. BERRESFORD.

FREIGHT CAR AND LOCK FOR FREIGHT CAR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, IsII.

1,210,264. Patented Dea. 26,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. BERRESFORD.

FREIGHT GARANDJLOCK FOR FREIGHT CAR DOORS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 19H.

1,210,264.- R Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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'Unire s'rn'rns rar FlllliCE Azeri-inn w. snnrtnsronn, or MILWAUKEE, wrscoivsnv.

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My invention relates to improvementsin freight cars and locks for freight car doors.

The usual type of freight car is provided with doors which may be opened from the side or end of the car. A great deal of trouble hasL been experienced from unauthorized persons opening the car doors and damaging or stealing the freight. lt kis difficult, particularly in freight yards, to detecty these persons as they stand between orbehindithe cars while. they are opening the doors, and thus are hidden from view.

h/lyinventioi'i` aims to'provideV a freight car with means for locking the doors these` means `being adapted to be unlocked `onlyA from the top of the car. Accordingly in order to openy the car it is necessary for a person to expose himself to view over the top of the car and hence unauthorized persons may be readily detected.

Other objects and advantages ofy my invention will hereinafter appear.

ln the accompanying ydrawings I` have illustrated several forms of my invention but of course it may assume various other forms and adaptations in practice. It should therefore be understood that my invention is not limited to the constructions chosen for purposes of illustration but is capable of being modiech embodied and applied in different ways. y

`The views of the drawings are as follows f Figure 1 shows a transverse sectional view of a car with the locking mechanism in side elevation. F ig. 2 shows a perspectivek view of the lockingy mechanism shown in Fig. l. F 3 shows a sectional view online 3--3 of Fig. l with the operating parts in elevation. Fig. 4: shows a side elevation of a car with thelocking mechanism in position in the same. Figa '5 lshows a perspective view of one form of key;y Fig. 6 shows a perspective view` of :admodifiedform of Specification of Letters atent,`

FREIGHT-CAR AND Look For. ramena-cna noone.

'rammed nee. ee, 191e.

Application filed May 22, 1912!..r Serial No. 628,838#

locking. mechanism with part of the inclosing casing in section. Fig. 7 shows anfelevation of a further modified form of locking inechanisinin position on a car. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view on line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows a sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 7. Fig. l0 shows a sectional view` of a car with a further modified form of `locking mechanism in elevation. Fig. 1l shows aside elevation of a car with this form'iof locking mechanism'in position in the same. -Figs. l2 and 13 show detail views of parts of this form of locking mechanism. Fig. 14 shows a perspective view of a modified form of key.

The construction shown in Figs. yl to 4l inclusive will be first considered. A spindle key is inserted through an opening in the f car roof and engages the squared end of the spindle. The worm engages a pinion G mounted on ya transverse shaft 7 journaled in suitable bearings.k Afngerk 8 is preferably fixed to one end of the shaft `7 in any suitable mannervand turns with apinionto cast and retract a 'bolt 9 adapted vtofenter a suitable recesslO in the car door., If desired a casing kl1 may be placed around the worm and' piniony andthis casing may be provided with a suitable opening' in its top to permit the movement of the bolt operating linger. In order to guide the key 5 a tubenlQ may extend downward through the opening inthe topk of the caryand have its lower end seated in the upper end of the easing ll. A pivoted cover lmay be provided over the'end of this tube and sealed if desired. `A drain pipe or tube lhaving itslupper end received by the'casing 1l and its lower end extending through/the bottom of the car and positioned in a vcollar 15 may be provided if desired.` i f Then it is 'desiredto unlock the door the person opening the `same isfrequired to have to view lon'top of the car. When theV key is rotated the rotary motion is conveyed from the spindle 1 and the pinion 6 to the linger 8 to cause this finger to move to and fro to cast and retract the bolt 9 land thus lock or unlock the car door. It is obvious that due to the provision of the Worm and pinion the person endeavoring to unlock the door would be required to expose himself for an appreciable length of time and that the time required ,could be varied as desired.

In Fig. ,6 I ,have illustrated another form which my invention nia-y assume in practice. As in ,the previous construction I here employ a vertical spindle preferably located in substantiallythe same position in the car and loperable 'in .the same manner. rilhis spindle 1,6 is preferably journaled in suitable bearings in a box or casing 17 provided With suitable means arranged to fix it yto the side of the car. A traveling nut i8 is arranged to move up and doivn upon the spindle 1 6 when .the latter is rotated. This nut 18 is provided with a projection or extension 19 which is adapted to enter a hole in aplate 20 carried 0n the side of the car door.` The'operation of this form vof mechanism is substantially .the same as that heretofore described, the nut traveling up 4and down the spindle as the latter is rotated and engaging `or disengaging from the plate 20 to lock or unlock the car door.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 49 I have illustrated a still further modified form which my invention may assume. As in the previous constructions this form of locking mechanism is operated by a thread spindle journaied in suitable bearings on the car side Iand rotatable in the same manner. This spindle 2l is arranged to mesh With a pinion 22 revolubly mounted upon a transversely extending spindle 23 having one end eX- tending throngh'the side of the car While the other'end is of reduced diameter and is arranged to reciprocate in a frame 24. A locking member 25 having serrated faces 26 engaging corresponding serrated faces on the pinion 22, iS mounted upon the reduced portion of the spindle 23 and is normally held in engagement therewith by a spring 27. In suitable annular grooves in both the locking member 25 and the pinion 22 a helical spring 28 is housed .which is of less strength than the 'spring 27. The locking member 25 is thus resilient-ly held in engagement With the pinion and normally rotates .With the same. When the spindle 23 is forced outward the serrated portion of the looking member 25 dseasagos from that of the pinion 22 so that the locking member or latch may be thrown to locking position by a suitable ,spring 29..

As in the previous construction this device may be inclosed in a suitable casing. Also thel opera-tion is substantiallE7 the same as that heretofore described. This device,

however, is capable of being locked from the side ofthe car so that While the car door may lbe unlocked only Afrom the top of the c ar it may be readily locked from the side of the car.

In Figs. 10 to llt I have illustrated a further modified form which my invention may assume. I n ithese figures I have illustrated vertical shaft 30 journaled in suitable bearings 3l carried in-the side of the c ar preferably at a point nearer the top than in .the previous constructions. This shaft 3,0 carries a suitable latch 32 upon its Ilower end which latch is adapted to .enter a suitable notch ,or recess 33 in kthe car door in iorder to lock the same. As in the previous construction the Shaft i30 is provided with a Squared ,end land is arranged ,to be rotated .by a key which is inserted through the top f of the cai'. rThe key used in this construction, lio-Weiter, may havo a shorter Shank .than the hors heretofore illustrated, as Shown in 141- In .order to automa-toally lthroyv the spindle and the latch to locking position l have provided a Spring 34 onoirolno; the shaft kand having one end lxed at la point to .the shaft .While the ,other .end abats against ono of .the bearings 3l- As it is ,often desirable to provide some moans for holding' the mechanism out of locking position so that the door Will not snap locked automatically when closed I have provided a perforated plate 36 fixed to 'the other ond .of the Spindle 30 and arranged to rotate therewith. The perforations in this plate register successively rWith perforation in a las' 37profo1alo1v formed on one `of the bearings 81 and a pin 38 may be dropped through these perforations to hold the locking mechanism in a retracted position. If desired the pin may be iiXed to the end Of L suitable chain 39 carried in a convenient location near the plate 36.

By m 1 improved construction I have provided .a locking mechanism for freight car doors which may only be operated from the top of the car so that the person attempting to uolook the somo is obliged to expose himself to view across the top of the car. Further a .PrSonH .order to @PSD tho Senao is obliged to have a Akey of the proper type, preferably of a type which would render the person so conspicuous as to make him readily detected. Again the person is re- -quired to turn the key a number of times before the locking mechanism is openod and thus increase the time the person is exposed and thereby proportionately increase the chances of detection. On the other hand While the locking mechanism may only be unlocked from the top of the car this would not in any .vay interferev with its use by authorized persons since a single cal' or a string of cars could be unlocked on a single vI2C) trip over the top of the cars and the cars could later belocked fromr the side of the car `without the necessity of another trip over the top of` the car. Further,y the con struction is of a rugged type which is well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which such devices would be subjected in service andl the mechanism is securely khoused and protected within the car so that it may not readily be tampered with by'unauthorized persons Themechanism is also of a type which may readily bey applied to cars of standard construction without any material alteration of the cars.

While Ihave in this application described several forms in which my invention may be embodied these forms have however been used only as means of illustrating the principle of my invention and accordingly I do not wish to be limited to'these specific forms since it is obvious that my invention may assume various other forms and be widely modified. f i

Vthat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows l. In a lock for freight car doors, in. combination, a latch, a releasing member for said latch operable only from the top of the car and a slow motion connection between said latch and said releasing member, said latch being operable to locking position from the side of the car.

2. A lock for freight car doors having in combination a latch, an operating member forfreleasing said latch, said member being accessible only from the top of the car, .a motion reducing connection between the latch and said operating member to prolong the time required to withdraw said latch, and means by which the latch may be quickly operated to locking position from the side of the car.

3. A freight car having a door and a locking mechanism therefor having a revolublev part requiring a number of turns to unlock the same and operable only from the top of the car, said locking mechanism having means permitting a quick locking of the door from the side of the car.

4. In a lock for freightcar doors, in combination, a latch and operating means insuring a. slow release thereof but permitting a quick operation of the same to locking position.

In a lock for freight car doors, a latch, a releasing member therefor accessible only from the top of the car, a slow metio-n connection between said releasing member and said latch and means on the side of the car for disconnecting said latch from said releasing member to permit a quick operation of said latch to locking position.

6. In a lock for freight car doors, in comv bination, a latch, a releasing member therefor, accessible only from the top of the car,

a connection betweeny said latch and said releasing member to insure a slow release of the former and means operable from the side of the car to disconnect said latch from said releasing member said latch when released from said member automatically locking the door when closed.

7'. In a lock for freight car doors, a screwthreaded operating member, and a locking q f means.

9. In combination, a latch for freight car doors, a revolubleoperating member therefor accessible only from the top of the car an operative connection between said latch and said member including a worm and worm wheel, and means for operating said latch in one direction independently of said worm.y

l0. In a lock for freight car doors, an operating member, a rotating member arranged to be moved thereby, a locking member normally resiliently held in engagement with said rotating member and arranged to move therewith and means for throwing said locking member out of engagement with said operating member when desired.

1l. In a lock for freight car doors, an operating member, a member arranged to move therewith, and a locking member arranged to move with said last mentioned member and means for disconnecting said last two members to throw the parts to locking position.

12. In aL lock for freight car doors, a rotatable threaded operating member, a pinion arranged to engage therewith and be rotated \by the same, a locking member normally arranged to move with said pinion and means for disconnecting said locking member from said pinion when desired to throw said locking member to locking position.

13. In a locking mechanism for freight car doors, an operating member arranged to be moved thereby,a locking member having a serrated surface normally in engagement with said rotating member, means for throwing said locking member out of engagement with said rotating member, and means operable independently of said disengaging means for actuating said locking member when thrown out of engagement with said rotating member,

14. A lock for freightcar doors compris-jA ing-a latch normally biased to locking posi-f` tion, 4operating means normally connected-.to .,z

said latch, said meansbeing adapted tobe actuated from the topA of the freight car through an opening therein to withdraw the latch from loclcingxposition, and means operable from the-side'of the car'for disconnecting the latch-from. the operating member'to allow the'latch'- to automaticallyre'- turn to locking position.

l5. A. lock or'freight car doors comprising a latch normally biased to locking position,v a rotatable member normally in engagement with o said latch, an operating member adapted to be actuated from the top of the car through an opening therein for withdrawing the latch from locking position, and means operable from the side of the car for disen'gaging the vlatch from the rotatable member so that it may automati- .cally return to locking position independ# ently ofthe operating member.

16. A flock for freight car doors comprisinga pivoted latch normally biased to locking-position, a rotatable worm gear Ahaving a serrated hub normally engaging a complementary hub on the latch, aia/operating worm shaftvmeshing withfsaid gear, said shaft being'farranged to be Lactuatedfrom the topvof the car through ane opening therein, Vand means operable fromthe side of the car for disengaging the latch hub from the hub of the rotatable member so that the latch may be automatically moved to locking position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the vpresence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR lV. BERRESFORD. lVitnesses HENRY T. Voer, WALTER E. SARGENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' l -Washngtoml C. 

